Five Gardens beautification: Only ‘retrofitting’ on cards

Mumbai's Five Gardens will undergo retrofitting to enhance accessibility for the differently abled, preserving existing footpaths and heritage.

MUMBAI: Stakeholders in a plan to modify Mumbai’s iconic Five Gardens in Wadala have agreed to restrict the changes to making the area accessible to the differently abled. The footpaths will not be concretised as discussed a few months ago, residents say. According to the plan, described as ‘retrofitting’, the non-profit appointed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will take up one toilet, one footpath and one of the gardens in phase one, and make the zone accessible to all.

The footpaths will not be concretised as discussed a few months ago, residents say.

This was decided at a meeting attended by around 25 residents of the Dadar-Parsi Colony and Access for Hope, the non-profit, which made a presentation to the residents on Friday. Residents had opposed the earlier plan to rip up the old basalt stone that paves the footpaths and replace it with concrete.

“We are on board with the plan to increase accessibility of Five Gardens,” said Darayus Bacha, member of Mancherji Edulji Joshi Colony Residents’ Association (MEJCRA). “At today’s meeting, we were reassured that the changes wouldn’t harm the Grade III heritage Five Gardens.”

The Parsi Colony residents argued through every design element of the plan presented by

Jasmina Khanna, a differently abled individual who runs the non-profit, Access to Hope, and her physiotherapist, Sanket Khandilkar.

“Our main concern was that the footpaths would be concretised, which would be the death of the trees here,” said Bacha. “It is reassuring that there was no talk of beautification at the meeting.”

According to Khanna, “The civic body came to us with the intention of making an ‘accessible zone,’ entirely accessible from one end to the other, including the public transit, footpaths, toilets, etc, instead of having only one part of it accessible. Five Gardens was chosen,” said Khanna. “We have clarified that we are just going to introduce accessibility through retrofitting, restricted to a toilet, one footpath and one of the gardens.”

The plans within these parameters are not fixed. “This was a discussion meeting to discuss our ideas. The existing public toilet will be demolished and replaced with one that is differently abled friendly,” said Neha Chavan, founder and principal architect of Studio Piplikput, which is working with Access to Hope on the Five Gardens plan. “On the footpath, ramps will be added wherever they are absent, and bollards placed in a zig-zag manner to filter out scooters and bikes, only allowing wheelchairs to pass through.”

Residents were adamant that footpaths around the gardens would not be concretised. Two years ago, said Bacha, the BMC had attempted to concretise the footpaths, which the residents opposed. The basalt stone was re-laid but some uneven patches remained.

“Only the uneven spots on the footpaths will be levelled and smoothened to make these spots wheelchair-friendly and to benefit everyone,” said Khandilkar. “The same stones will be laid in the footpath again.” As for modifications to Garden C, a playground, no plans have been fixed. “We floated the idea of adding accessible play equipment, but nothing has been decided,” he said.

“This is only the very beginning of the project,” said a BMC officer present at the meeting on Friday. “Discussions will continue and then a proposal will be floated.”